Top 5 Blue-Chip Stocks for January

For a smooth transition into 2012, capitalize on these stocks

Dominion Resources

Dominion Resources (NYSE:D) is the perfect winter-weather stock. Its customers in Virginia and North Carolina are cranking up the heat as the temperature continues to drop, which means increased profits for its Dominion Virginia Power segment. This makes conditions ripe for stunning Q4 earnings. One of the reasons I added this company to my buy list in December is because this company is incredibly resilient. In Q3, Dominion weathered not only Hurricane Irene, but also a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck its North Anna nuclear power station. Despite the combined $87 million cost from these natural disasters, the company still managed to grow earnings more than expected.

Looking forward, management expects higher revenues for Q4, as well as an increase in earnings per share thanks to the company’s aggressive stock buyback programs. The company doesn’t report earnings until Jan. 23, so there is plenty of time to load up on this stock in anticipation of the earnings report.